Apparatus for polishing military emblems



Jan. 20, mm J. c. NlELiNSKi 3 7 APPARATUS FOR POLISHING MILITARY EMBLEMS Filed Aug. 31, 1967 awvsawrow I am a ewegumsm m United States Patent 3,490,088 APPARATUS FOR POLISHING MILITARY EMBLEMS James C. Wielinski, 1409 S. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw, Mich. 48601 Filed Aug. 31, 1967, Ser. No. 664,735 Int. Cl. B08b 1/00; A471 25/02 US. Cl. 15-268 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for polishing a military emblem of the kind having a disk provided with a noncircular opening therein comprising a cylindrical body having a noncircular driving projection extending from at least one end of the body for driving reception in the opening of the disk to enable the latter to be interposed between the body and a polishing cloth and rotated, the body having a ring between its ends which abuts an enlargement on the body to enable the user to exert downward pressure on the polishing cloth without having his hands engage the cloth.

The apparatus disclosed herein especially adapted for use in polishing parts of military emblems and especially the flat, disk-like members that are utilized for the support of various insignia. Military emblems of the kind referred to conventionally are formed from brass and include a disk on one side of which is mounted the insignia of a particular branch of service, such as the infantry, the mechanized cavalry, the air force, or the like, and on the other side of which is mounted means for securing the emblem to a persons uniform. Brass emblems rapidly oxidize and tarnish and it is a requirement of all military branches utilizing such emblems that they be maintained in a highly polished condition. Some of the military emblems have a branch insignia permanently secured to the brass disk, and it is especially diflicult to polish the disk in the region immediately adjacent the insignia. Accordingly, many servicemen obtain emblems composed of separable parts and in which the disk has an opening through it for the removable accommodation of a stem to one end of which is fixed the insignia of a particular military branch and the other end of which is threaded for reception of the means for securing the emblem to the uniform. To preclude relative rotation between the disk and the insignia, the mounting stem of the latter may have a square cross section and the opening in the disk may have a similar shape. The separability of the several parts facilitates their cleaning and polishing. It is in connection with this kind of emblem that apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention is intended for use.

Not all of the military insignia is of uniform size. For example, the insignia comprising the block letters US. is considerably larger and heavier than the crossed rifles insignia of the infantry. The mounting stem associated with the US. insignia, therefore, is of greater cross-sectional size than is the mounting stem associated with the infantry insignia. As a result, the disk associated with the US. insignia has a considerably larger opening therein to accommodate the mounting stem. Because of the difference in size between two different insignia, a polishing apparatus, to be effective, must be capable of accommodating the different sizes.

An object of this invention is to provide apparatus especially adapted for use in the cleaning and polishing of military emblems, particularly those emblems which are composed of separable parts.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus capable of use with emblems of different size.

A further object of the invention is to provide cleaning and polishing apparatus of the character described which is composed of separable parts for convenience in storing and transporting.

Another object of the invention is to provide cleaning and polishing apparatus which is easily operated, simple and inexpensive in construction, and rugged and durable in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out specifically or will become apparent from the following description when it is considered in conjunction with the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded view of a typical military emblem; and

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, and illustrating the use of apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention is especially adapted for use in conjunction with military emblems of the kind illustrated in FIGURE 1 which, for purposes of illustration, comprises the infantry crossed rifles insignia 1 from the rear surface of which extend a mounting stem 2 having a substantially square shank portion 3 which terminates in a cylindrical, threaded portion 4. The insignia 1 is adapted to be used in conjunction with a flat disk 5 formed of brass and having a centrally located, square opening 6 therein for the accommodation of the square shank 3. The emblem also includes a flat, rectangular plate 7 having a threaded opening 8 between its ends adapted for threaded reception of the threaded shank portion 4 of the insignia 1. A pair of pins (not shown) is anchored to the plate 7 and each of the pins is adapted to receive a separable fastening element 9 by means of which the assembled emblem may be secured to a persons uniform.

When the parts of the emblem are assembled, the insignia 1 bears against one surface of the disk 5 and the plate 7 bears against the other. It would be difficult to clean and polish the insignia 1 and the disk 5 when the parts are assembled, and it is to facilitate cleaning of these parts that they are made separable.

Apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention comprises an elongated, cylindrical body 10 composed of two separate sections 11 and 12. The section 11 has a threaded bore 13 in which a correspondingly threaded stud 1-4 projecting from the section 12 may be accommodated. When the two sections 11 and 12 are assembled, the body is of suflicient length to be positioned between the hands of the person and rotated.

One end of the section 11 has an enlargement 15 which provides a shouldered surface 16 that forms an abutment adapted to be engaged by a ring 17 having an opening 18 of such size as loosely to receive the body sections 11 and 12. The section 12 has a similar enlargement 19 and a shouldered surface 20 which forms an abutment for the ring 17.

Extending from the free end of the section 11 is a projection 21. A similar projection 22 extends from and in prolongation of the section 12. Each of the projections 21 and 22 is of substantially uniform length, but the projection 21 has a greater cross-sectional size than has the projection 22. The length of each projection corresponds substantially to the thickness of the brass disk 5. Except for the projections 21 and 22, the terminal ends of the body are flat.

To condition the apparatus for use in polishing the military emblem, the parts of the latter are disassembled and the disk 5 is laid face down on a polishing cloth 23 which may be supported on the top of a table 24 or any other suitable structure. Depending on the size of the opening 6 in the disk 5, either the projection 21 or the projection 22 may be fitted into the opening 6 in driving engagement therewith. In the illustrated embodiment, the projection 22, the smaller of the two projections, corresponds substantially to the size of the opening 6 and it is this projection which is accommodated in the disk opening. When the driving projection is fitted into the disk opening, the ring 17 may rest upon the abutment 20 and the user may rest the edges of his hands on the flange 17 and rotate the body 10 back and forth between his hands so as to rotate the disk back and forth upon the polishing cloth 23. Inasmuch as the length of the projection 22 corresponds substantially to the thickness of the disk 5, the cloth will not be torn by the projection.

Should the opening in the disk be larger than the opening 6, the body may be turned end for end so as to fit the projection 21 into such opening. In this case, the ring 17 will be slid axially of the body so as to bear against the abutment 16 and provide a rest for the users hands as he rotates the body and polishes the disk.

Upon completing polishing of all disk-like parts of the servicemans military emblems, the body sections 11 and 12 may be separated from one another and. stored in a small area.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for polishing a disc-like member having a substantially centrally located, noncircular opening therein, said apparatus comprising an elongated body composed of two separable parts; releasable means for separably maintaining said parts in axial prolongation, said body terminating at least at one end in a substantially flat surface; a projection secured to said body and extending from said surface in prolongation of said body, said projection having a length corresponding substantially to the thickness of said member and having a cross-sectional shape and size corresponding substantially to the crosssectional shape and size of said opening for driving accommodation in said opening; a ring carried by said body for sliding movements longitudinally of the latter;

and an abutment adjacent each end of of said body for projection has a substantially square cross-sectional shape;

4. The apparatus set forth in claim 1 including a second projection extending axially from the other end of said body and in prolongation of said axis thereof, said second projection having a length corresponding substantially to the length of the first mentioned projection and having a substantially square cross-sectional shape, the cross-sectional size of said second projection being greater than that of the first mentioned projection.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,378,987 5/1921 Wessely 51-265 X 2,73 3,473 2/1956 C'ourser 15268 FOREIGN PATENTS 618,819 9/1935 Germany. 616,145 12/1932 Germany.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner L. G. MACHLIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 51171; 2693 

